19-Year-Old Lobbies Congress For A Presidential Youth Council
Washington politics has long been dominated by older, established professionals -- but a few young people are ready to change that.
The Campaign for a Presidential Youth Council, a group organized by 19-year-old Alex Wirth, lobbied hard enough to convince Sens. Scott Brown, R-Mass., and Tom Udall, D-N.M., to support their push for a bi-partisan youth council to advise the president on matters related to younger generations. The two senators introduced a bill in the Senate Wednesday to support the formation of the council. On the House side, Reps. John Larson, D-Conn., and John Shimkus, R-Ill., introduced a similar resolution in July.
“Young people bring a unique perspective that can help make our government more efficient, effective, and innovative,” Wirth said in a statement. The council, which is modeled after similar councils active at the state and local level across the country, will "give the nation’s youth a voice in the national debate and provide useful insight to policymakers as they design and implement youth policy," according to a release.
“It sends a very powerful message to the people in Washington that kids matter, that the youth of America matter," Brown said in a statement. “The decisions we're making today are going to affect our kids tomorrow."
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